Of Arrogance, Selfishness, and Unhelpful Friends
by Gray-Eyed Charlatan
Summary: Title is weird, I know, ha ha, but it will make sense in due time. Hikaru/OC. Kaoru/OC. Maybe some weird allusions to strange, non-canon pairings in future chapters. But nothing creepy, hopefully. Then again, I don't know your definition of creepy. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there! I'm finally making my comeback in the fanfiction world, and therefore my debut in the land of anime and manga! I've recently become a GINORMOUS fan of Host Club (which I do not own, thank you very much) so I'm giving my crack at a Host Club story. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter One**

It was the second week of the new school year, and I was basically aware of one thing.

And that was my complete _boredom._ And in case you're wondering, a bored Chiharu (read: me) is _never, ever_ a good thing.

It was for that reason that I decided to roam the corridors of my school, Ouran Academy, alone, not bothering to force my fraternal twin, Taiki, to tag along.

I was extremely close to my dear Taiki, but quite frankly, he was "busy" with "homework." My opinion on homework was simple: Pssh.

Now you may be wondering how a slacker like me ever got into a prestigious high school like Ouran, and why-the-heck I wasn't going to some ordinary, non-private school for slackers. Well, I may have been a slacker, yes, but I was a _rich_ slacker who somehow managed to get better-than-average grades. And it didn't hurt that my parents were childhood friends of Chairman Suoh.

But that's a completely different story!

Taiki and I were first-years, in the same class as that fancy scholarship student, Whatever-his-name-is Fujioka, Class A. I didn't pay much attention to my classmates, as I had just transferred to Ouran for the new school year. And besides, I didn't really care. (I'm severely lazy, as you may be able to tell. Har har har.)

On my first day, I was intercepted by some girl named Kurakano or something, who was smiling at me too brightly to be genuine. "Hello!" she beamed. "Are you new?"

"Yes," I said indifferently.

"Fantastic!" I raised an eyebrow. What kind of an idiot did she think I was? Did she honestly understand that I couldn't see through her meaningless charade? "What's your name?"

I tilted my head to the side and asked her, "What's _your_ name?"

She giggled thoughtlessly. "Ha! I'm Momoka Kurakano! What is your name?"

I didn't say anything, and kept my face impassive.

"Okay then! Are you shy?"

"No," I said indifferently. "I just don't feel like talking to you."

"You're so funny! It seems like you're the third new student in our class this semester. I only heard that two were coming. Twins. But you don't seem to have a twin!" She giggled again.

I told her, "Actually, I do have a twin. We're fraternal."

"Oh, really? What does she look like?"

I corrected her, "Well, _he_ looks nothing like me, since he's a boy and I'm a girl. And twins don't need to be identical, you know." I tried, kind of, but I just couldn't keep the know-it-all tone out of my voice. Oh well. Better that she be frightened off by the actual me, eh?

"That's awesome! What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"What is it?"

I bit back a groan, and surrendered to her ridiculous interrogation. "I'm Chiharu Kuroda."

She studied my face curiously. "Black field of a thousand springtimes?"

Did this imbecile have to poke fun at my name? "Yes. My parents are cruel."

"What's your twin's name?"

Taiki came up from behind me and used my head as an arm rest, since that twat was virtually a foot taller than me. "I need no introduction," he said smoothly. "But I'll give you one anyway. I'm Taiki Kuroda."

She grinned at him. "Great radiance of the black field? I like it."

I smiled to myself. Gosh, girls were ridiculous. No one understood at a glance that Taiki was gay.

Taiki laughed and shook her hand. "Is Chi being rude to you?" he asked her, giving me a falsely stern look.

I felt like kicking him. What an idiot!

Kurakano said, "No, she's just not exactly talkative. I can see that she's a little introverted."

Taiki and I snorted at the exact same time and said in unison, "Did you say introverted?"

"Am... am I wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

I barked a laugh, leaning on Taiki so I wouldn't fall over. "You couldn't be farther from the truth, Kurakano."

"Oh. Okay. Nice meeting you both. Bye!" Without further ado, she scampered off.

Word of my semi-hostility towards the class's Vice President must have traveled quickly, because from that day forward, no one really bothered talking to me.

But that was all well. I couldn't care less. I was just here until I graduated and could do... whatever I wanted.

Back to the present, two weeks and three days after that little encounter. I strolled down the hallway, plugged into my MP3 player that was blasting Romanian pop music (my favorite) and just tuned out from the world, kind of.

Until I walked into someone.

"Sorry!" I said, barely able to hear my voice beyond the sounds of O-zone's "Dragostea Din Tei", my favorite song EVER. I even bothered to see who I had bumped into, whosoever it was that gave me minor whiplash.

And I realized that I hadn't careened into one person, but instead two. It was the only other pair of twins in our grade, those weird Hitachiins.

One of them said something, sizing me up in curiosity. I gestured to my headphones with an apologetic look, reaching down to turn off my MP3 player.

The one on my right smiled briefly, and waited until I had taken off my headphones. Then he said, "No problem."

The other said, "Hmm, you're one of the Kurodas, right?"

I nodded. "Yep. The girl with the male twin." That was how everyone had referred to me in my old school, the losers.

The left twin grinned again, and elbowed the one on the right. "Kaoru would know all about that," he said jokingly.

Right-twin, Kaoru, rolled his eyes and feigned hurt. "Aw Hikaru, why do you do that to me?"

Hikaru abruptly hugged him in an extremely creepy way, whispering just loudly enough for me to hear, "Kaoru, I'm sorry. I'll never hurt you again."

Kaoru sighed, "Oh Hikaru..."

Then they looked to me, and I realized they were expecting a reaction. The left corner of my mouth twitched into a half-smile, and I held up my hands in a kind of self-defeat. "Hey, if I'm interrupting something, I'll just be going now..."

My answer seemed to come as a surprise, since all four of their eyes widened. "You're not affected?"

"Um, no. I personally couldn't care less if you have a disturbing relationship with each other, but I can tell it's all for show, so..." I let the sentence trail off, absentmindedly running a hand through my waist-length, incredibly wavy brown hair.

They shared an almost delighted glint in their eyes when they turned to each other, but were then cut off by What's-his-name Fujioka joining our little chit-chat group in the hall. "Hey guys," he said, and glanced at me. "Hi? You're Chiharu Kuroda, right?"

"Yes," I told the strangely feminine boy. "And you're Fujioka. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." I could detect a strained note in my tone, but he didn't seem to notice.

Fujioka said to the Hitachiins, "C'mon guys, senpai sent me to look for you. You've got customers waiting in the club."

I was intrigued. "Club?"

Hikaru said, "We're members of the Host Club."

Kaoru added, "It's in Music Room #3, if you ever want to check it out."

I said flatly, "I think I'll pass. I'm not a fan of clubs. Too conformist for my taste."

All three boys were taken aback. Then the twins started laughing, and Fujioka dragged them off, sighing, "Let's go. Nice meeting you, Kuroda."

"Back at you, Fujioka," I said unenthusiastically, plugging back into my Romanian pop music.

After a few minutes of more after-school loitering, my cell phone jarred me out of my thoughts with a chorus of, "I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles. So Taiki was calling me.

"_Salut_," I said in Romanian, since it was a lyric in the song I was listening to. And besides, it was a special phone-only greeting or whatever in Romanian.

Taiki's voice nagged me, "Where are you? Mom's worrying about why you haven't sent for the limo yet."

"Then tell her to stop. I'm fine."

"You didn't answer my question," he said matter-of-factly. "So where are you?"

"I've been hanging around school. Can you tell the chauffeur to pick me up?"

"Did I mention that Mom got so worried that the limo's outside Ouran right now? And I'm inside it, in case you're wondering."

"Great. I'm almost at the entrance."

Taiki said with a laugh, "_That's what he said_."

"You pervert," I told him affectionately. "See you in a sec."

"Bye."

"Adios."

I closed my phone with my chin, threw it unceremoniously back into my bag, smoothed my pastel-yellow poofy skirt that I loathed, and exited my school, entering one of my family's limos.

Taiki was waiting inside as he'd said, sunglasses donned. "Mom will be so happy that you're alive," he said sarcastically.

I rolled my gray eyes. "She'd better be. So, how did you get dragged on my rescue mission?"

"I was kidnapped by the driver, of course," Taiki said, calling up front to the chauffeur, "I love you, Taiga!", who ignored him and kept driving.

I settled back on the sleek, black leather, removing my bag and stretching out. "You're such a dork."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

I pointed at him, smirking, "Exhibit A."

"You're just jealous. We all know that blondes have more fun," Taiki said, messing up his own dirty blonde hair.

"And brunettes are smarter, and therefore better," I countered.

We both started laughing, just as we had since we were toddlers. It was nice to have a twin, since it meant I wouldn't ever be lonely. Or bored. When the guffaws died down, Taiki asked me, "So, what were you up to in school? Loitering could never interest you for that long."

"You know me too well." I shrugged, "I met those Hitachiin twins."

"And...?" he pressed. "Let me guess, they're airheads like the rest of our class?"

I considered it. "Actually... no. Not really. They seemed like they were really being themselves, I guess." As weird as being themselves could be, it was refreshing for someone not to put on an act because they wanted to impress Taiki and me.

"You sure? That never happens." His brow furrowed a bit.

"I know. That's why I'm a little taken aback," I observed about myself.

"You do look a tad shell-shocked, but maybe it's just that god-awful dress." Taiki wrinkled his nose comically at my uniform.

"_You're_ lucky that you don't have to wear one. I hate this accursed thing," I said distastefully. "They really should design something better. Easter egg colors are just... wrong."

"I agree, twin."

"Of course you do, twin."

After a brief silence, Taiki said, "You'll have to introduce me to those Hitachiins sometime. They seem cool."

"Alright. Tomorrow," I decided. "Homeroom."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

And thus, I lapsed into deep thought. What did it mean that the Hitachiins weren't acting around me? But what if they were, but were just amazing actors?

I guessed time would tell.

* * *

**So I'm done with Chapter numero uno, and I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm not going to beg for reviews (so degrading) so instead I shall ask politely: Can you delightful people honor me with a review? **

**That seems sufficient, but I suppose I'll have to wait and see (laugh). Adieu!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So I'm done with chapter one! Huzzah! Although I have yet to get a review (sigh) I shall write and post chapter two anyway. Time to hope for the best! **

**P.S. This chapter is short and (in my harsh opinion) not very good, but it'll get better. I promise. :D**

**Thanks to Escape-to-the-Stars for favorite-ing this! Muchas gracias!**

**Now, on with the story. I don't own Host Club.  
**

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**Chapter Two**

"I really hate this uniform," I decided, looking distastefully at my reflection in a full-length mirror in my room.

Taiki was perched on my canopy bed, flipping through a magazine. "Yeah, it only makes you look paler."

I glared at him, but had to keep myself from smiling. "Thanks. You're so helpful."

"Mm-hm," he said vaguely. "Now why'd you bring me in here?"

Still gazing into the clear, gray eyes of my reflection, I said, "Because. I'm rethinking introducing you to the Hitachiins."

"That's not fair, Chi. Why the sudden change of heart?" Taiki propped up his chin on his hand, closing the magazine and throwing it on the floor.

I sighed and picked it up, placing it on a bedside table. "I dunno. I just don't want to."

Taiki observed my cleanliness. "You're picking things up. That's never a good sign."

I met his annoying smile with a steely eye-narrowing. So what if I preferred to have the maids clean up after me but tidied the area when I was anxious? I wished Taiki couldn't read me as well as he could.

Straightening the curtains, I said over my shoulder to my unhelpful twin, "I don't feel like introducing you to them yet. I'm not even really friends with them. We just talked."

"Anything else? Just talking?"

I snatched an extra pillow from a chair and chucked it at his head. But I turned away abruptly, acting like I hadn't just used a pillow as a missile. "Yes, what type of a person do you think I am?"

He said, "If you say so."

"That doesn't even make any sense. Well... I guess they invited me to be a guest at their club or something."

Taiki was intrigued; I could tell. "What type of club?"

"I'm not sure. They didn't specify." The second I turned back around, my twin sent the pillow flying at _my_ head. I ducked at the last second, and then returned it to its former position on my chair. "It's in one of the music rooms, I think they said."

"A music club? Sounds lame."

"I know. But they don't seem like the type of people to be in a music club, you know?" I lounged against a wall, crossing my arms across my (unfortunately ironing-board like) chest.

"Yeah, I get what you mean. And you're going to introduce me to them in homeroom like you promised," he said nonchalantly.

"Whatever," I retorted airily. "But I doubt they're gay."

He smiled dreamily and gazed at my ceiling. "It doesn't hurt to hope, though. I like the look of them."

I laughed, "Yeah, it's not like they're _cavemen_."

He pretended to be shocked. "Do I hear Chiharu Kuroda admitting that someone isn't hideous?"

I grinned. "Maybe yes and maybe no. That's for me to know and you never to find out." I actually did think the Hitachiins were kind of attractive, and that was high praise coming from me. I made everyone think that I thought I was better than the rest of the world, and that I considered every person besides myself to be hideous. Acting was my passion, and life was all a form of acting to me. I was happy, and no one except Taiki saw the real me.

Taiki looked up at the ceiling again, and I knew that he was daydreaming, collapsing into his personal thoughts. "Just remember. There are two of them, and two of us. Maybe..."

I smacked his head. "Snap out of it, or I'll never introduce you to them."

He beamed at me. "Alright, alright. Let's go, then."

"You sap-head. We need breakfast." After enlightening him as such, I strolled out my door and pointed into the hallway. "Now out."

"I'm coming, big sis," he said, not even getting up.

So I turned the lights off. "Move it if you want to live."

He snorted, but joined me in the hall anyway. "Oh sure. That's such a threat, coming from a petite, dainty five foot two girl with no muscle tone. I'm so scared."

I corrected, "That's five foot two _and a half_. And you should be very afraid. I know where you live."

"That's because we live in the same house."

"Are you trying to test me?" I asked as we walked down the stairs.

"Sh'yaaa."

"Shut up," I sighed dramatically.

"Make me."

Then our housekeeper, Emi, saw us and our conversation was put to a momentary stop whilst we ate breakfast. And I knew the only thing Taiki could focus on besides his food was his fantasies involving the Hitachiins. What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

"So anyway, my twin wants to meet you," I finished explaining to Hikaru and Kaoru, feeling like my explanation was stupid. I called over my shoulder, "Taiki! Get over here!"

Taiki was immediately on my right side, saying to the twins, "Hello."

"Hey," they said.

"I'm Taiki."

I gestured to each of the Hitachiins, telling my brother, "Hikaru," and then, "Kaoru."

They looked surprised. Did _everything_ I do surprise them?

"How'd you know which is which?" they asked.

"It's not _that_ hard, guys," I said. "You part your hair differently, your voices sound different, and whenever I see you in class, Hikaru is on my right." A smirk flitted across my face at their expressions. "If you want to make it harder, maybe Kaoru could be on my right once in awhile."

The twin on my right, Hikaru, said, "Well, how do you know I'm not Kaoru?"

I looked up into his face and said, "Because your hair is parted to the left, like mine, which makes you Hikaru."

"What if we switch parts every day?" suggested Kaoru, almost hinting that they did already (which was a lie).

"Your voices are still different. And besides, this conversation is going nowhere."

Taiki brought the spotlight away from me and back to himself. "So, I'm glad to meet you guys."

Kaoru met his smile with a, "Yeah, you too," while Hikaru and I exchanged a look that said 'We-have-such-weird-twins.'

Then I realized what had just happened.

I just had a second of shared understanding with Hikaru Hitachiin. We'd both thought our twins could be dorks. But still... that had never happened before. I was an uppity type of person who closed herself off from the world, occasionally chatting with her twin.

And in that moment, as my blue-gray gaze locked with that of amber-eyed Hikaru, I understood that he was just as taken aback as I was.

That little instant seemed like it lasted for awhile, perhaps even hours, but it barely took two seconds.

Kaoru said with a grin to Taiki and me, "You two really should stop by our club after school today. See us at our finest."

I recovered from my brain-freeze of sorts. "You keep talking about a club. What club is it?"

Hikaru said, deliberately not making eye contact with me, "A Host Club."

Those words meant nothing to me, but it was the way he said it that made me suspicious. Taiki smiled brightly at the Hitachiins, and promised, "We'll be there."

Hikaru and Kaoru turned to each other, and decided in unison, "Stop by right after class lets out so you can meet everyone before the guests come."

And without further ado, the bell rung and the school day started.

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**Another chapter done! I know it's short (try not to stone me), but I didn't want to drag it out. **

**I know Chiharu seems a bit... overly-observant, but that's just because... I want her to be that way. Bad explanation, I know, but whatever.**

**Review please?  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hooray! I have a review! Thanks,**** alexahoshiumi! The reason she's so obsessed with Romanian pop music is because she and Taiki are half-Romanian (their mom is). And I think you've caught me. I am a bit obsessed with Romania. (laugh)**

**Enjoy!  
**

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**Chapter Three**

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I said in awe, gazing down upon my bedridden twin as he lay in a school nurse's office. "Are you sure you're sick?"

Taiki glared at me, and whispered, "Yes. Do you think I'd fake this?" He _did_ look sick, that much was true. Whereas I was naturally as pale as death, Taiki almost always had a sun-kissed glow (in poetic terms). Not right now, though. The color was drained from his face, and his lips were the same shade as his skin.

One of the many school nurses returned from another room with a thermometer. She said to Taiki, "You know the drill, right Mr. Kuroda? Open up."

He opened his mouth hesitantly, and I squeezed his hand. Hey, it wasn't my fault that my twin brother had an unnatural fear of doctors and nurses. Which meant that he almost definitely wasn't faking his strange, sudden illness. Still... his martyred expression made me want to laugh. Kind of.

The nurse then turned to me. "Who are you, dear?" She glanced at our entwined hands, and seemed to make a decision. Before I could respond, she said, "Your boyfriend will be alright. You should go back to class."

I raised my eyebrows. "With all due respect, you're wrong. This is my _twin_." She was obviously taken aback by that little revelation.

Sometimes I really hated people. I hated people who made generalizations and grouped everyone they saw according to incorrect stereotypes. And unfortunately, the world was full of people like that. Just because Taiki and I looked nothing alike didn't make us any less related. Or any less best friends. Wasn't a girl allowed to hold hands with her twin without it seeming romantic?

It happened all the time at our old school in Romania. A girl gets along fabulously with her twin, and suddenly they're having an incestuous relationship, despite the fact that he's gay. Yeah, right.

So I continued, "And I stay with my twin. I am _not_ going to class until I know what is wrong with him." I was an extremely protective older sister, I guess. I made sure to put the tone of arrogant superiority into my voice, or rather to amplify it and make it more pronounced. I was naturally an arrogant type of person, but I didn't care. It was part of my character.

Taiki smiled at me and squeezed my hand back. Despite his much taller height and quantity of muscles, he was really a fragile person. I practically maimed anyone who made fun of him for being gay, which thankfully didn't happen very often. But there _were_ homophobes out there who hurt my brother, and I was never going to stand for that.

The nurse analyzed me sharply, and I could tell she was pegging me for a rich, obnoxious troublemaker. I intensified my smirk. Let her think what she will.

After about a minute, she pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and scrutinized it. "Just as I expected, Mr. Kuroda. You have a fever."

"So, what does that mean?" Taiki pressed impatiently, but with a sickly-sounding voice. "Should I go home?"

The nurse was deliberately not looking at me. Ha. "Yes, I think that would be best. Should I call your parents?"

I whipped out my cell phone, and smiled angelically at her. "I'll take care of that for you." I called the second speed dial: my father. (Number One was Taiki.)

Three rings passed before he picked it up. "Chiharu, is that you? It's the middle of the school day."

"Yeah, hi, Daddy," I said conversationally, leaning slightly back in my chair at Taiki's bedside. "How are you doing?"

"Busy," he said shortly, irritation creeping into his voice. "Do you have a reason for calling me?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "Taiki is sick, and needs to go home."

"Sick as in what?"

"He's got a fever and apparently feels nauseous, so the nurse said he should go home."

My dad sighed. "Alright, I'll send a limo to pick him up. Send my condolences."

"Thanks. _La revedere,"_ I said, flaunting my knowledge of the Romanian language, specifically greetings and closings. _Bye._

He hung up without saying goodbye. Sometimes, my father could be... not very nice.

I said to my twin, "He's sending a limo to pick you up."

"Thanks, Chi," he said, closing his eyes and relaxing back onto the pillow he was propped up against.

I released his hand and stood up, crossing my arms and saying to the nurse, "I'll go back to class now."

Without further ado, I left for class, turning my cell phone off on the way, and then stuffing it in my bag. Then I remembered how Taiki and I were supposed to check out that weird club the Hitachiins were a part of today after school. And Taiki was sick, so I'd have to go alone.

Ugh. Maybe I could cancel or something, invent an excuse. Fake sick. Demand to go home with my twin.

No, no, no. That would just be stupid.

I'd stick it out and then tell my ill twin all about it. Oh, yeah. I was _so_ brave. Such an adventurer.

When I got back into my math classroom, of course everyone turned to look at me. The teacher said wryly, "Taiki is going home?"

I nodded. "Yes. He came down with a sudden, mysterious fever," I announced with just a touch of insolence in my voice.

Hikaru and Kaoru were staring at me. I was used to people gawking at me; it didn't even bother me. But for some reason, I felt uncomfortable because of the Hitachiins were.

I became aware of how pompously I was standing- just the way I held myself oozed superiority. It was no wonder authority figures feared me. My thoughts turned to my crazy, out-of-control, wavy (but nonetheless beautiful) mane of hair. Wait, what? I didn't care what people thought of me. I was a Kuroda, and Chiharu Kuroda at that. It ran in the family.

At the end of class, the twins came up to me, quizzical expressions on their faces. "You still coming to the club today?" they asked.

I nodded, and half-smiled. "Yeah, I'm going to show up. I keep my promises."

They grinned devilishly, exchanging a look. And then they came on either side of me and _totally_ invaded my personal bubble.

"Can you two back up, please?" I asked tonelessly.

"What?" Hikaru whispered, tilting my chin up for no good reason. "Haven't you ever fantasized about twins?"

"No, actually," I said, flicking his hand away nonchalantly. "Since, well, I _am_ a twin and everything."

Kaoru put his arm around my shoulders. But unlike with Hikaru, there was a certain awkward stiffness. Hmm. "Oh, come on. You know you'd just love it."

"Again I say 'No, actually.' It wouldn't be fair to you two, since you'd have to share me." I bestowed upon each of them the most beautiful smile I could muster, a smile that would put my ex-model of a mother to shame. "And I'm not sure there's enough of me to go around." I was short, after all, at just over 5'2", not to mention petite in build.

"But all's fair in love and war," said Hikaru. "I'm sure we would find a way to make it work."

Despite the fact that they were both flirting over-the-top with me, I honestly didn't care. They were acting, and so I decided to act back and give them a taste of their own medicine.

I hooked an arm around each of their necks, pulling their heads close to mine. I said quietly, "Well, if you say it will work, then I guess it will." Then my grin turned evil. "But if you remember, I have a twin, too."

"And...?" clarified Kaoru.

"I'm sure he would just _love_ to join our little love-fest. Turn it from a three-some to a four-some," I said contemplatively. Once I saw their horrified faces, my composure slipped and I started cracking up uncontrollably.

And then they were laughing, and it was like the three of us were friends.

Friends. I had friends.

Kind of.

The only friend I'd ever had was my dear brother. Everyone else shunned me because I was "weird." Not that I cared, of course, but still.

But then a group of girls passed by, gawking at the spectacle that was the three of us: that weird Kuroda girl with her arms around those Hitachiin twins. Their eyes all widened, and they started whispering while they walked.

My happy expression turned icy of its own accord, so I forced my arms to cross defiantly, my eyes narrowing, my teeth gritting.

Once they disappeared around a corner, the twins asked me, "You okay? You looked like you were going to kill them."

I laughed once, mirthlessly. "It happens. I just don't like most people." Why did I tell them that? What?

Confusion rippled across my face, but I covered it up with an easy smile.

"Anyway, I'll see you guys later," I said, vaguely waving at them and beginning to walk away. But then, inspiration hit me and I backtracked a couple paces. I beckoned them to lean in closer, and then whispered, "You should work on your act more. If you need a test subject, I'm always available." They were speechless, and I strolled away, eventually turning a corner.

I didn't know what-the-_FOLK_ came over me, but I kind of liked it.

* * *

Thus, immediately after school let out, I pushed open a door to Music Room #3.

And inside, a tall blonde guy was arguing with Fujioka, who he was gripping by the shoulders. "... and Daddy doesn't want you to hang out with bad influences like Hikaru and Kaoru!"

Fujioka said, "Senpai, cut it out. I'm allowed to hang out with anyone I want to-"

"But Daddy says no!"

"You're not my father!"

I smiled to myself and resisted rolling my eyes. Just then, the blonde noticed that I was at the door.

He jumped abruptly away from Fujioka and sashayed over to me. When he spoke, his voice wasn't anxious and disapproving as it just had been, but was now quiet and... seductive? What? "Hello there, Princess. First-time guest?"

I ducked out of his reach and said, "I don't know _what_ kind of a club this is, but Hikaru and Kaoru invited me. So if you excuse me, I'll be leaving-"

"Don't leave, Chiharu!" interjected Hikaru as I turned around. I revolved to face him, and I would bet a look of shock was etched on my face. _No one_ ever addressed me by name. No one except Taiki, and that didn't count because he called me Chi.

"Okay," I said uncertainly. "I suppose I'll stay..."

A black-haired guy with glasses said speculatively, "Please, make yourself at home. The other guests shouldn't be arriving for another half hour." He looked vaguely familiar... Hmm... His face brought memories of being introduced to a fancy, well-off family a few years ago...

I sat on a nearby couch hesitantly, all seven boys staring intently at me. Fujioka came with a tea set, and offered me some tea.

While I held my teacup, waiting for it to cool off, Hikaru and Kaoru sat on either side of me. "Nice club you have here," I said, looking down at the floor.

"We should introduce you to everyone," they decided.

Then followed a string of introductions in which I met the Host Club, and learned lots about the club. It entertained girls (yawn) who were shallow and annoying- at least, in my opinion.

Kyoya sat on the couch opposite mine, and asked me, "So you are Chiharu Kuroda? My family deals heavily with yours."

"I know," I nodded. "In fact, I think I met you once."

He appeared skeptical for a moment, but then revelation crossed his face and he smiled. "I almost forgot. Four years ago, correct?"

"That sounds about right." I thought about it. "Yeah, it is right, since I was eleven."

"So let me get this straight," said Hikaru. "You two have met?"

"Once," I clarified. "My family and I were visiting my grandparents here in Japan, and the Ohtoris were coincidentally going in the same basic direction. So... yeah." That didn't seem like a good enough explanation, especially by my storytelling standards. "Our fathers are good friends."

Kaoru pondered, "What does your family do?"

I took a deep breath, and plowed on. "Well, the Kurodas own a chain of hotels and resorts all across Japan. And my mother is an ex-supermodel from Romania, so Taiki- my twin- and I grew up there."

"Why'd you move here?" wondered little Honey in his child's voice. Gosh, he reminded me of Taiki at age eight so much that it was scary.

"My uncle, the then-heir to the Kuroda business died, so my father inherited it and we moved here. And that's basically it." I took a small sip of tea, regretting it a moment too late. It was still far too hot, and burned my tongue. I gently laid the cup on the coffee table.

"You don't like tea?" asked Fujioka, whose first name was apparently Haruhi.

"Oh, I like it," I said. "I just don't like it too hot or too cold. And as of now, mine is the former." All eyes were still on me. "What?"

"You're puzzling," said Mori bluntly.

I quirked a smile. "How am _I_ puzzling?" Then I settled back onto the couch, and Hikaru and Kaoru wound their arms around my shoulders. Whatever.

It was the twins who broke the silence. They said to me, "It's the reason we want to get to know you and your twin better."

"That doesn't answer my question, you know," I said matter-of-factly, taking another sip of my tea. Ah, perfect. It cooled down just enough for me to drink, and therefore to enjoy. Therefore, I took a few swigs while I could whilst waiting for an adequate reply.

"Even I can see it," said Haruhi. "You're a lot different from the others."

"Thanks," I said truthfully. "Really, I take that as a compliment."

Then Kyoya checked his watch. "The customers will be coming in any second, men."

Tamaki leapt to his feet. "You know what that means! Places, everyone!"

I finished my tea in a gulp and stood up, setting it on the table. "Thanks for having me, guys, but I think I'll go now. I don't want to disrupt your little business of sorts."

"Come tomorrow," suggested the twins.

"Fine. Maybe Taiki will be feeling better by then, and I know he'd love to come." ...see the seven, pretty boys our age. "See you all tomorrow, then. Bye."

And with a small wave, I left, almost being trampled by the fangirls- I mean, the guests- on the way out.

Taiki would have a field day with my retellings of what happened, I could tell.

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**Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but I spent awhile revising this chapter for unknown reasons. And I tweaked the plotline a little, so be prepared for a curveball in future chapters. Ha ha ha. **

**I really, really wish I'd get more reviews...  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hooray! I have another two reviews! I think you guys set some sort of record (laugh)!**

**Thanks a bunch, Milky Mentos and Escape-to-the-Stars! I lurve both of your usernames, for the record.**

**Now on with the story, right?**

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**Chapter Four**

And just as I finished recounting what had happened to my sickly little brother, he said quietly with a faint smile, "Well, that's freakish."

I grinned. "Yep. And you are going to feel better tomorrow so I don't have to go alone again."

He pulled his thick blanket up even more than it already was and laid his head on his bed's pillows. "I can't guarantee anything, but I'll try. I'm looking forward to seeing those attractive, strapping young men."

I laughed and leaned against his headboard from my perch on the side of my twin's bed. "I wouldn't exactly call Honey-senpai _strapping_, but whatever."

"Eh, who cares?" Then Taiki yawned impressively, so I stood up.

"You tired?" I asked. Before he could respond, I continued, "Maybe you should get some sleep."

"That's a good idea, I guess," he said wearily, closing his eyes and rolling onto his side.

I patted his shoulder vaguely and whispered, "Sleep well," before exiting almost silently and closing the door behind me. I felt bad for my dear twin. Being sick was never fun.

I went downstairs to the private library to read, when I got there and, lo and behold, I saw my father. "Hello, Daddy," I said nicely enough, despite the fact that I didn't really feel like seeing him at the moment.

"My daughter Chiharu. Just the person I wanted to see. Come, sit with me," he said, gesturing to a nearby armchair.

"Okay," I said hesitantly, sitting down with a note of suspicion.

My father was a tall, intimidating man who enjoyed making people cower at him. I inherited my shrewd gray eyes (and bad eyesight, but I wore contacts) from him, and that was about it. Taiki and I mainly resembled our mother, although my brother inherited his blonde hair from our father.

My dad smiled suddenly, which made me narrow my eyes. What was going on? "So, daughter, how is school going?"

"Fine," I told him. "I like Ouran a lot."

"Have any friends?"

I considered it. "I suppose so." I guess you could call the Hitachiins my kind-of friends, even though I just started talking to them a day before.

"Good, good." Then his manner abruptly changed, as I had been expecting. "Enough with the small talk. You and I need to discuss the matter of your inheritance."

I shrugged. "If we must." His eye twitched at my nonchalant manner. I greatly enjoyed irritating adults, but especially my father. Don't ask me why, because I don't know.

"You know how the Kuroda fortune can only have one heir," he said conversationally.

"Yes, I am well aware of that." I was mildly bored at this conversation, so I picked at my long nails for something to do.

"And you, Chiharu, are my eldest child..."

I caught what he was getting at, so I said flatly, "I don't want to be the heir."

That took him aback, and his eyes slightly bugged. On a side note, I was glad that never happened to me. It was quite unattractive. "What did you say?"

"I have no desire to go into," my nose wrinkled, "hotel management." I knew it was more than that, but still. I had other aspirations besides getting married to some loser who only wanted my family's money and having a dozen kids. _No thank you._

Predictably, he said angrily, "It is more than hotel management! It is-"

I interrupted him. "Can't you just let Taiki take control of it?"

He was doubtful, and knew he was thinking that my twin wasn't up for the job. Anger washed over me, but my father said, "I will consider it. For now, _you_ are the official heir."

"I don't want to be!" I said in frustration. "Just let Taiki- I'm sure he'd love to!" For that point, I wasn't speculating. My twin had actually told me before that he dreamed of running the family business, that it was what he wanted to do with his life.

"I said I will consider it!" he hissed in a deadly whisper. I also inherited my getting-quiet-when-angry from my dad, I guess. "Now don't you have homework to do or something?"

I shook my hair out of my face, lying convincingly, "It's done already." Then I twisted my lips into a smirk, just to make Daddy even madder and to see what would consequently happen.

His gray eyes (so much like my own, _sigh_) narrowed and he pointed at the door, uttering one word. "Out."

So I got up, stretched, and left the room, not caring that I had possibly just written myself out of my dad's will. Nah, he'd never do that to his favorite daughter.

* * *

I refused to speak a word to either of my parents even as I exited the limo to go to school. Alone.

Alas, Taiki was still sick, and now vomiting, too. Yeesh. Our private nurse bet her apron that he had the flu. So I was the lone Kuroda twin again, at least for that day.

When I got into homeroom, the Hitachiins raised their eyes to glance at me the second I stepped through the door. I strolled over to where they were leaning against a few chairs, and decided to sit on top of a nearby desk. "'Sup," I said dully. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go right ahead," said Hikaru. "We don't mind." I smiled a little bit, I'll admit it.

Kaoru's eyes darted to the door again, and then he asked me, "Is Taiki still sick?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I feel bad for him. No one should get sick." Just then, a random girl from my class walked by. I didn't know her name, and I couldn't care less.

"Did you say that your _twin_ is _sick_?" she sniffed. I nodded skeptically. "Okay, eww! Stay away from the rest of us who don't want to get sick too!"

She hurried away, so I yelled after her, "It's not me who's got the flu- it's my brother!" I took a deep breath to calm down, and said to the Hitachiin twins, "My brother gets sick and everyone acts like _I_should be quarantined." I thought about how, if Taiki were there, I would be sitting with him. And then at lunch, too, and all through our classes. Who was I supposed to sit with? Sitting alone wouldn't be that bad, but still, it was kind of depressing.

They seemed to know what I was thinking about, and so said, "You can hang out with us today, if you want. Besides, we want to get to know you better."

"Thanks," I admitted, flashing them my actual smile- no arrogance, no cruelty. Just friendly Chiharu. (What an oxymoron.)

Both boys also smiled quite nicely, and for whatever reason I suddenly felt like my stomach had jumped. Was I getting sick too?

Hikaru's brow furrowed. "You okay?" He must have seen my expression, which was probably quite funny for a second.

"Are you sure that your twin isn't the only sick Kuroda?" added Kaoru.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said a tad too quickly. I looked down at the floor, letting my hair fall over my face. Long hair was such a nice thing to have when it comes to covering emotions.

Then, completely shocking me, one of them brushed my hair behind my left ear. When I glanced up to meet the eyes of the perpetrator, my cheeks flooding with color (that NEVER happened), I found myself looking up at Hikaru.

"Back up, there," I said semi-playfully, leaning back a few inches. "You'd better not be doing your fancy Host Club thing on me." I raised an eyebrow, and prayed for my cheeks to stop being red.

But then I saw Kaoru's reaction. He was full-on gaping at his twin- like, literally, mouth hanging open and everything- and giving him a face that said clearly, "What the hell?"

Hikaru seemed surprised at his own actions, too. I was almost gloating mentally at how he was blushing, just like I was. But still, he had the nerve to touch me. And that was a major no-no. I was kind of surprised that I didn't flinch, actually.

However... there was a part of me that half-wanted him to brush my hair to the side again, even if I didn't want to admit it to myself. I grinned cheekily and said, "I guess it's a good thing that Taiki isn't here, because he'd kill you, Hikaru."

Kaoru found his voice and rearranged his facial features, saying, "Excuse me, but I really need to use the bathroom right now, so I'll be back in a minute..." And before Hikaru or I could say anything, he was gone out the door. I doubted that he needed to "go", but then why would he leave?

"This is awkward," I said, stating the obvious after a brief silence.

Hikaru agreed with a vague, "Yeah," and said in a small-talk kind of way, "So... you grew up in Romania?"

"Yep. My mom was a model when she was younger there."

"Oh, really? My mom is a fashion designer."

"Neat." This conversation was going nowhere fast. Forced conversation was just that: forced. I needed a topic! Quickly! But what? "So, Hikaru... why did you and Kaoru decide to join the Host Club?" I was mentally relieved at my sudden burst of genius.

He was, too, and grinned. "Well, Tamaki nagged us nonstop for a month, so we eventually caved."

I considered his relationship with his twin. They seemed extremely close. My curiosity nagged at me, so I finally put on my Confidence Pants and brought it up. "That's cool. You and Kaoru really seem like you get along well."

"Yeah, I guess you could say we have that 'twin bond' or whatever those psychotic psychologists call it." I laughed at that, and he went on. "We've always been together, so why stop now, you know?"

I understood _exactly_ what he was saying, since I felt the same way about Taiki. "Definitely. Some of the idiots at my old school used to make fun of Taiki and me for being so close, but we never really cared or whatever. We were 'us', and everyone else was 'them'," I said, trying to describe it.

Hikaru nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly!" He paused for a second, smiling at me. "No one else seems to understand that."

The corners of my mouth twitched upwards. "Yeah, I know." And as I gazed into the amber eyes of Hikaru Hitachiin and he into my gray, I'm pretty sure we both realized just how similar we were. It was tangible and odd, since it went past just the whole "has a twin", "misunderstood by most people," etc. I saw mirrored in his eyes _my_ selfishness, _my_ longing to protect my twin, _my_ philosophies that people are meant to be toyed with and rules are meant to be broken.

And it scared me.

I had always thought I was one-of-a-kind. Unique. Inimitable. But here was a boy my age I just met who was like me to a point I'd thought impossible. Not even Taiki, the other half of me basically, fully understood the workings of my mind. He thought he did, but he really underestimated me, just as I underestimated him on a daily basis.

But this... this was something I never could have imagined, someone so similar to myself that we could have shared a brain and not known the difference.

I was slightly afraid, yes, but the other part of me was intrigued. Maybe a little happy to find someone like that.

I couldn't break our eye contact, which probably meant that Hikaru couldn't either. Not even as Kaoru apparently walked through the door into our homeroom and sat down.

Right between us.

Breaking the momentary connection, although one remained on a much deeper level.

I turned off my confusion/bliss like a switch, and grinned at Kaoru as if nothing happened. "What took you so long?" I asked him, even though something inside me cursed him for interrupting my staring contest of sorts with Hikaru.

Kaoru shrugged, and returned the smile. "Oh, nothing much. Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Nope," Hikaru said dully. "Just small talk about our moms, pretty much."

Kaoru blinked, obviously perplexed. "Really?" Had he wanted something to happen?

"Yep," I answered unenthusiastically. "Quite the conversationalist, Hikaru is." Kaoru glanced at the front of the classroom for a momeny so I smirked devilishly at Hikaru, just for a millisecond.

Hikaru rolled his eyes once Kaoru was looking again. "Touché_. _You should have heard _Chiharu_ rambling about life in Romania, Kaoru."

Kaoru opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the bell, signaling our move to first period. "Whatever. Forget it," he sighed.

And on the way out, I couldn't resist the self-satisfied leer I sent at Hikaru. And of course, there was one waiting for me, too.

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**Sorry it took me so long to update (grr) but I've finally worked out how to word this chapter the right way, I think. Please keep reviewing!**


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